I agree on Maker”s Mark too, it has a weird aftertaste after more than a couple sips. Dont know what that flavor is called but I’ve never had another liquor that had it. Sweet, but just a sort of chemical taste.
I haven’t had the 21 yr Balvenie but recently picked up the 14 yr.
I like the Dalwhinnie 15 and various 18s. A few years ago, a friend brought me a bottle of the Nikka Coffey,
thinking it was made with “coffee” (obviously not a drinker :-). I’ve since always keep a Coffey and
a Suntory around…
And another buddy just brought me a Redbreast which I haven’t gotten around to yet.
Well, Jim Beam just lost 45,000 barrels of young bourbon, to fires last night, so if you like that stuff, rush out to your liquor store and buy some up.
I love whisk(e)ys of all sorts. Barrel Proof bourbons, like Elijah Craig Barrel Proof releases, or BT products like Stagg Jr are high on my list. But at the very top is Islay single malts like Ardbeg and Laphroaig.
Sipping Ardbeg is like learning how to drive a stick shift; once you’ve mastered one, there’s nothing that you cannot drive a million miles in.
I’m absolutely excited about the new Ardnahoe distillery. Their flagship will be peated at 40 ppm while Ardbeg is usually peated at 50-55 ppm and Laphroaig at 45 ppm. It will be higher than most Lagavulin’s and Caol Ila’s (both 35 ppm).
I agree. However I find it best to avoid bottles of spirits as they do not last long - oops - but I am quite fond of beer aged in oak barrels which have previously been used for whisky or wine. This is a nice example:
There are some amazing Beers that are getting that treatment. One that was a single off run and thought to be a mistake until it showed up on tap at a local gathering. Deshutes Brewery Mirror Mirror. Was aged a full year on Oak. It was a 14.5% and such a wonderful beer. To bad the barrels caught an infection and they have never been able to repeat it. My Wife and I had a few mugs of it at that beer tasting.
I have been trying different barley wines recently as well. Some hits, some misses by a mile.
You won’t be able to find Mirror Mirror anymore. They Do have Black Mirror. I have not had it as I live in Alaska and somethings get here and many don’t. Black Butte Porter is the beer that put them in to fame locally. It is a good Beer, and I like it, I also get the yearly Black Butte reserve.
I generally prefer Scotch or Irish Whisky, but sometimes I’m in the mood for Bourbon-style whiskey, so I like to keep a bottle of both Maker’s Mark and one of Woodford Reserve on hand.
I’m out of Maker’s Mark at the moment, but I keep hearing good things about Four Roses Small Batch, so I think I’ll substitute a bottle of that next time I buy some.
I wouldn’t describe Maker’s Mark as having a chemical after taste, but it definitely is distinct among Bourbons. Some times it’s exactly what I want, sometimes it is not at all what I want.
Also, I don’t like mixed drinks with Maker’s Mark, not just because I normally prefer sipping it, but I just don’t think its distinctive flavor works well for mixing.
Four Roses makes delicious bourbon. Find a store pick if you can, although if your area is anything like mine most of the bottle shops are doing Knob Creek picks right now. They’re great too though, if you see one — 12 to 15 years old, 120 proof, very good.
Maker’s Mark is a wheated bourbon, meaning the balance of the mashbill that isn’t corn, is (mostly) wheat. Its definitely different than bourbons that are more balanced or have a higher rye mashbill. Some folks like it, some don’t. I also don’t.
Glenlivet is nice, smooth stuff. And Crown Royal. But I’m just a small-time sipper.
My father once told me, the only good reason to drink alcohol is to enjoy the flavor… and one or at most two drinks’ worth is plenty to savor the flavor. I’ve stuck to that.